Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province

Friars Minor Conventual

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Easter Message from the Provincial

Happy Easter!

The Lord is risen!  Alleluia! “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Alleluia!

Together, we celebrate the ‘light of Christ’ and the Resurrected Lord as Pilgrims of Hope! Having processed into church with the Paschal candle held high at the Easter Vigil, we rejoice! We rejoice for Christ, the divine ‘light from light’, has triumphed as man over the darkness of death, and has risen to eternal life in glory. We rejoice because the Lord’s Resurrection has the most profound, joyous, and central importance for our lives, filling them with a new light and purpose.

We know the darkness all too well. Our sins and petty judgments; our moodiness and lashing out at those we love; our pride and inability to say, “I am sorry!“; blind to our own faults while shining plenty of light on the faults of others. It is the darkness in which terrorists target innocent civilians and school shootings, and gun violence are perpetrated. It is the darkness in which rich nations protect their wealth and expand it while exploiting the poor. It is the dark night of losing a parent, child, or loved one. It is that same darkness of Good Friday as the disciples of Jesus witnessed the horrific violence of the cross. Are there parts of our own lives that our hearts have grown so hard that we lack trust to believe the light of Christ can enlighten those places if we let it?

My brothers and sisters, as we responded, “Thanks be to God” to the threefold proclamation of ‘the light of Christ’ at the Easter Vigil, that very act should refresh our faith and nurture our way as Pilgrims of Hope! What greater gift have we than the sure hope of sharing in the Lord’s triumph over sin and death and living with him in God. Growing up, we didn’t exchange gifts and presents at Easter (with six kids, Mom and Dad were probably still paying off the ones from Christmas!). Candy filled baskets – for sure, but no presents. Truth be told and shame the devil, there’s simply no greater gift we need than the new life we receive through faith and baptism. While we renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday and are especially mindful of those promises throughout the Easter season, it is something we should be renewing each time we dip our fingers into the holy water as we enter every church and chapel throughout the entire year. As Pilgrims of Hope, our world needs our witness and our belief in the Resurrection of the Lord and Jesus’ power to penetrate darkness and despair. By our baptism, we have been commissioned to spread the gospel message even in the darkest places and most difficult of times. May our “I do” responses to our baptismal promises lead us to put our faith into action and to shine the light of Christ in this world by all we say and do.

Throughout this Easter season and especially throughout our Jubilee Year of Hope, let us pray for the gift of hope to be increased in our lives and in the lives of all our brothers and sisters. May this simple act of hope, “Jesus, I trust in You!” be on our lips and in our hearts.

The Lord is risen!  Alleluia! “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Alleluia!

– From Fr. Paul Langevin, OFM Conv.

Safeguarding Statement

The Franciscan Friars Conventual of St. Bonaventure Province are committed to creating safe environments for children and vulnerable adults.

Every friar in active ministry must complete training in Virtus (the National Catholic Risk Retention Group) and any other safe environment compliances required by the dioceses in which they serve.

In addition, St. Bonaventure Province has its own Safe Environment Commission that oversees the implementation and monitoring of the Province’s Policies, Procedures, and Protocols for Ethical Ministry with Minors and Vulnerable Adults. 

Any allegation regarding the Franciscan Friars Conventual of this Province receives an immediate response. This includes the Province’s full cooperation with local law enforcement authorities and Ordinaries who have ecclesial jurisdiction over these matters, as well as a duly diligent investigation by a qualified third party in order to substantiate credibility.